These designs were followed less than a decade later by the project that remains most closely associated with Crab Orchard Stone, Franklin Roosevelt's ambitious Cumberland Homestead settlement project. Under the auspices of the Civil Works Administration and the Division of Subsistence Homesteads, the Cumberland project was completed in 1938 with over 200 homes built on the Plateau to house local residents who had been left jobless and destitute when mining and timber industries failed due to the Great Depression.
It was particularly fitting that the Homestead project made use of both indigenous labor and indigenous materials, and while the planned community was ultimately unsuccessful as farmers left the area for industrial work in the North, the homes remain as a lasting testament to the beauty of Crab Orchard Stone and to the idealism of the New Deal. Today, many of the homes are privately owned, but the Homesteads Museum welcomes visitors to tour both a restored house and the settlement's original eight story water tower. Those traveling to the area should also explore the beauties of Cumberland Mountain State Park, a Civilian Conservation Corps project, which features a remarkable sandstone dam across Byrd Creek.
Hibbs completed his buildings in Nashville in 1927, but already Crab Orchard Stone was making its way down from the mountain, this time east into Harriman, Tennessee, and the historic Cornstalk Heights district. The McCloud home is a two story cottage whose edifice is constructed entirely from Crab Orchard Stone, and this was a major selling point for the home's new owner Elizabeth Lewis.
"Who wouldn't love a maintenance free house?" she asks with a shrug of her shoulders. "The only thing I need to worry about to keep the exterior intact is the roof." Entering the house on a ninety-degree afternoon, the first thing a visitor notices is how comfortable it seems, especially without central air. "I literally have the coolest house in town," Lewis jokes. "The attic fan is original to the construction, and the stone has kept the house insulated so well this summer that I've only turned the fan on once or twice."
While East and Middle Tennessee can boast the greatest concentration of Crab Orchard Stone buildings, the sandstone can also be found both nationally and internationally in some very high-profile projects, albeit underfoot. For instance, the Vice-President's Residence features a patio made from Crab Orchard flagstones, and such prominent swimming pools as FDR's in Hyde Park, New York and Elvis's at Graceland have been faced with Crab Orchard flagstones.
Today, according to Patrick Garrison, coowner of Rocky Ridge Stone Company in Crossville, the use of Crab Orchard Stone continues to evolve. His company is committed to quarrying practices which have minimal impact on the environment and the landscape of the Cumberland Plateau, and this attitude is also reflected in Rocky Ridge's innovative use of by-products to create a crushed Crab Orchard aggregate. One of its uses is as environmentally friendly riprap for lakefronts. Besides its natural beauty, Garrison points out that "Crab Orchard Stone doesn't change the Ph of the water the way that limestone would."
As the housing market has slowed, Garrison remarks that builders and remodelers are looking for ways to set their properties apart from the crowd, and many have found Crab Orchard Stone to be an affordable and distinctive accent. He says, "With the introduction of our tumble products, we've been doing more and more outdoor kitchens and fountains." Because the stone is so versatile, Rocky Ridge is able tooffer clients the possibility of getting involved in the design of their projects, and as the company's website proudly proclaims, "If you can dream of a way to use Crab Orchard stone, then we've probably got just the right cut for you."
Elegantly patterned, yet tough enough to stand up to heavy traffic and harsh weather, Crab Orchard Stone is a perfect choice for builders, architects, and homeowners, and as its long history makes clear, it will never go out of style.
For more information about the Cumberland Homesteads Tower Association, please visit its website at http://www.cumberlandhomesteads.org. More information on the ScarrittBennett Center may be found at http://www.scarrittbennett.org and by phone at 866-420-5486. Details about Rocky Ridge Stone may be found at the company's website: http://rockyridgestoneco.com, or feel free to call the company at 931-484-7158.
Above, left: This building project used Crab Orchard Stone in both the house and in landscaping features for a harmonious blend of color.
Below, center: Superb stacking properties make Crab Orchard a popular stone for building outdoor kitchens in the region like this outdoor patio area, stone supplied by Rocky Ridge Stone Company.
Bottom: Travel through any "old" neighborhood in East Tennessee and you'll spot Crab Orchard houses. These gems are heirlooms of a region rich in traditional stone construction.
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